Henry a



(NoModel.) v f H. A. BOOTH 8v J. P. PLUMMER.

I'RAVELING TRUNK.

` Patented Apr. 5, 1898.

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. N Z 1 f. o M 2v i J w WW@ UNITED STATES PATENT rrcn.

HENRY A. BOOTH AND JOHN P. PLUMMER, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH TO BERNARD MANN, OF SAMEPLAOE.

TRAvELlNe-TRUNK.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,027, 'dated April 5, 1898. Application filed April 17, 1897. Serial No. 632,573. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: I

Be it known that we, HENRY A. BOOTH and JOHN P. PLUMMER, citizens of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Traveling Trunks, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to that class or type of traveling-trunks having a sectional top portion comprising a iixed elevated case running longitudinally along the rear of the trunkbody and a swinging cover section hinged to the top front edge 0f the elevated case and susceptible of being conveniently opened and closed while the rear of the trunk rests directly against or quite near a wall.

The chief objects of our invention are to improve traveling-trunks of the character referred to, to strengthen the trunk-body through'the medium of a wall which constitutes the bottom of the elevated case and serves to support one longitudinall edge 0f a len gthwise-slidin g tray, and to provide a novel construction of parts whereby two sets 'of drawers may be used in the elevated case and the sliding tray made to cover and conceal the two sets of drawers, while itl can be easily slid lengthwise from either end of the trunk to gain access to either set of drawers. To accomplish all these objects, our invention consists in the features of construction and in the combination or arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a trunk constructed in accordance with our invention and showing the trunk-lid vopen and the tray slid lengthwise sufficient to gain access to one set of the drawers, .and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the top portion of thetrunk to 'clearly show the bracing-wall which constitutes the bottom of the drawer-case and a sup-v porting-ledge for the rear part of the lengthwise-sliding tray.l

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein thenumeral 1 indicates a trunkbody,which may be of any desired form or shape and made in any suitable manner to secure the required strength anddurability. The trunk-body is constructed along its rear portion with an elevated or upwardly-proj ecting casing 2, which is of a depth from front to rear approximately one-third the depth of the trunk-body from fro-nt to rear, but obviously the dim ensions of the parts or the depth of the casing may be varied without altering the spirit of our invention. The bottom wall of the casing 2 is composed of a wall 3, preferably made of a single piece of timber rectangular in shape and having a length the same as the length of the trunk internally between its ends and a width somewhat greater than' the depth or width of the casing 2, so that the front edge portion of this wall projects in front of the casing and constitutes an -offset supporting-ledge 4, designed to support or sustain the rear longitudinal edge portion of a sliding tray 5, hereinafter more fully explained. As this wall 3 is composed` of a solid piece' of timber tightly fitted into the upper end ,of the trunk-body, against the rear and end walls thereof, the wall constitutes a powerful reinforcing-brace for the top portion of the trunk-body and at the same time affords asupporting medium for one edge of the sliding tray. A

The casing 2 contains two sets of drawers 6 and 7, one set being arranged in line with the other set and eacheset consisting, as here shown, Iof two drawers, although the number may be increased or diminished to any desired extent, depending in a measure upon the height of the. elevated or upwardly-project-ing casing 2. The bottom drawers 6 and 7 rest upon the wall 3 and slide in and out thereupon.

The front top edge of the trunk-body is constructed with a longitudinally-grooved guide 8 preferably formed by rabbeting the top edge of the front Wall of the trunk-body; but obviously this front guide may bea separate piece rigidly secured in position and constructed in any mannersuitable to engage a forwardly-projecting flange or rib 9, extending along the front of the tray 5, at the bottom thereof, in such manner that when the tray is in its normal position in front of the two sets of drawers 6 and 7 the rear edge of the tray rests squarely upon the offset ledge 4 of the wall 3 and the flange or rib 9 more or less snugly fits the guideway 8. The height of the tray 5 is approximately the height of the casing 2, so that when the tray stands in front of the casing the two sets of drawers are entirelycovered and concealed from view.

The ends of the ledge 4 and of the guideway 8 are open or unobstructed, so that it is possible to slide the tray 5 lengthwise in either direction without any previous manipulation to place it in position so that it can be slid lengthwise. By constructing the parts in the manner described and shown, so that the tray 5 can be slid in either direction from the ends of the trunk, either set of drawers in the casing 2 is rendered accessible Without actually detaching or removing the tray from the trunk, for obviously if the tray be slid in one direction approximately for half of its length the set of drawers G can be readily opened and closed, while if the tray be slid in the opposite direction the set of drawers 7 can be opened and closed.

The rear longitudinal edge of the tray 5 merely rests upon the upper surface of the ledge 4, and since there is no interlocking connection between the ledge and the tray the latter is susceptible of being rocked forwardly or turned in the arc of a circle, so that it can be conveniently and quickly lifted and removed from the trunk-body for the purpose of more conveniently packing articles thereinto.

The elevated drawer-casing 2 is provided at its front witha horizontal guide-rib l0, which, as here shown, is arranged as a dividing-strip between the two upper and the two lower drawers. The rib projects beyond the front surfaces of the drawers when they are closed in such manner that the rearwall of the tray 5 bears against the rib in its lengthwise-sliding motions. This guide-rib accurately guides the rear of the tray and holds it from displacement or contact with the drawers and from such back-sliding motion as might tend to discharge the front flange 9 of the tray from its guideway.

By constructing the sliding tray of sufficient dimensions that it'normally conceals the sliding drawers in the drawer-casing this tray retains the drawers in place, and is made of considerable depth, so that its capacity for holding articles is materially increased, while it conceals the drawers and gives the trunk when opened the appearance of being drawerless, andfurther secures increased facilities for carrying articles without presenting an unduly-enlarged and awkward construction.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is-e 1. A traveling-trunk, consisting of atrunkbody constructed along its rear portion with an elevated top casing containing drawers, a bottom wall fitted into the trunk-body under said casing, bracing the top portion of the trunk-body and Aprojecting in` front of the drawers to provide an offset ledge, a guideway arranged at the top front edge of the trunkbody and open at both ends, a lengthwise-sliding tray resting at its inner edge upon said oset ledge, engaged at its front edge with said guideway and constructed to stand in front of and cover and conceal the drawers in the elevated casing, and to be slid in either direction from the ends of the trunk, and a cover-section hinged to the top front edge of the drawer-casing, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a traveling-trunk, of a trunk-body constructed along its rear portion with an elevated top casing containing sliding drawers, a bottom wall arranged in the trunk-body under said casing, bracing the end and rear walls of the trunk-body and having an oset ledge in front of the drawers, a grooved guide arranged at the front top edge of the trunk-body, a lengthwise-slidable tray supported by said ledge and said grooved guide, constructed to slide longitudinally in either direction from the ends of the trunk and made substantially the height of the drawer-casing, so that the drawers are covered and concealed by the tray when it is in normal position, and a cover-section hinged to the front top edge of the drawencasing, substantially as described.

3. A traveling-trunk,consisting of a trunkbod)7 constructed along its rear portion with an elevated top casing containing drawers, an

offset ledge running along the front bottom portion of said casing, a grooved guideway arranged at the top front edge of the trunkbody and open at both ends, a horizontally` projecting guide-rib extending along the central portion of the elevated top casing, a lengthwise-sliding tray supported by said olfset ledge and grooved guideway and resting against the said horizontal guide-rib, and the cover-section hinged to the top front edge of the trunk-body, said tray normally standing in front of and concealing the drawers in the elevated casing and constructed to be slid in either direction from the ends of the trunk, substantially as described.

4. A traveling-trunk,consistin g of a trunkbody constructed along its rear portion with an elevated top casin g-containin g drawers, an

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offset ledge running along the front bottom portion of lsaid casing and projecting in front thereof, a grooved guide at the top front edge Aof the trunk-body and open at both ends, a

. 602,027 i 'l s section hinged to the top front edge of the our hands in presence of .two subscribing Wittrunk-body, said tray normally standing in nesses.

front of the drawers and constructed t0 be HENRY A. BOOTH. v slid in either direction and in its sliding mo- A J NO. P. PLUMMER.

5 tions guided by the said projecting guide-rib, Witnesses: Y

substantially as described. WM. W. DORMAN,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set V. M. CAMPBELL. 

